Alleged bank swindler caught after four years on the run

JAKARTA (JP): A Indonesian businessman wanted for allegedly embezzling his bank of the equivalent of almost US$2.4 billion is on his way home after four years on the run.

Suspect Sugianto L. Prabowo was arrested in Sydney and is expected to arrive at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport tomorrow, secretary of the Interpol Central Bureau for Indonesia Brig. Gen. Wayan Ardjana said yesterday.

He said Sugianto, an executive of Bank Perkreditan Rakyat in the Salatiga, Central Java, was arrested by Australian police in Sydney after being on the Indonesian police's most wanted list for the past four years. Wayan declined to say when the arrest was made.

"We have tracked him down for quite a long time. Two years ago, we received information that Sugianto was heading for Australia. Then our officers were after him."

Sugianto was a member of the bank's board of directors when he allegedly embezzled the Rp 5 billion. The exchange rate in 1994 was Rp 2,100 to the greenback.

He is scheduled to arrive at about 2 p.m.

"He will be escorted by two officers, one from the National Police and one from the Central Java Police, who are now in Sydney."

When asked about other swindlers who escaped abroad, Wayan said the police were continuing efforts to hunt them down.

"We are still searching for them, including one of the most wanted suspects, Eddy Tansil. We have some new leads but we're still working on them."

Tansil, Indonesia's best known jailbird, escaped while serving time in 1996 for defrauding Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo) of $620 million.

Indonesia has established extradition agreements with several Asian countries, such as Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Hong Kong.

The extradition agreement with Australia was signed in 1995.

"We want to have an extradition pact with European countries. So far we have only developed police-to-police cooperation," Wayan said. (edt)